Too Many Mane Sixes
by Bedomy
Summary: An Au of "Too Many Pinkie Pies". Everypony has things to do. Sometimes there are too many things for one pony to handle. But... what if there were more of them?
1. Chapter 1

"PINKIE!" Yelled the purple Unicorn when a certain pink hurricane of joy jump-hugged her in the middle of her spell; which resulted with a few changes to the library's main room. Pinkie and Spike stood and watched as the giant bird, that was the front door once, flew away, while Twilight watched her books in horror. They changed from inanimate objects to carnivorous looking monstrosities. As they crawled towards her Twilight quickly used a reverse spell to change them back to normal. With that out of the way she looked around to see how much damage was made. The main entrance just flew off; the floor was covered with pages and burn marks; and the giant pony head statue at the room's center was reduced to a tiny cupcake that Pinkie ate without a second thought.

"Why did you do that?" Twilight asked half baffled, half furious. "Because hugs are FUNERIFFIC; especially if you give them to your friends." The pink pony answered happily before licking off the frosting goatee on her snout. "What'ca doin?" Pinkie asked innocently while Twilight took a few calming breaths. "I was working on a new spell…" was the only thing she managed to say. "Oh, my! What happened Twilight?" the cloaked pony asked while entering through the missing door. "Hey Rarity! Why are you wearing a cloak? Is that some new game? Can I play? How do you play it?" was among the words Twilight understood. Pinkie bombarded the white Unicorn with questions.

Rarity simply smiled and let her cloak fall down to reveal her new creation. It was an elegant purple and pink, high collar dress that matched her indigo mane. "Oh this… it was just protecting my new ensemble. I wanted to show it to you girls first. What do you think? Fabulous, no?" Rarity said proudly. Twilight watched her friend's latest masterpiece, she even forgot about the mess. "It's beautiful Rarity." Twilight complimented her friend, much to her satisfaction. Pinkie stopped jumping around and stared at her.

"HUH!" she gasped in horror "That's terrible!" Twilight jaw dropped, Rarity's pleased smile vanished when she heard that. "Well… I know this isn't one of my best designs but…"

"You did something incredibly fun and I missed out on in?!" Pinkie asked with pain in her voice; she started to jump around again. "What if there's other super, amazing, fun stuff that I could do with my other friends? Is it close? AM I MISSING IT?! GOTTA GO!" And with that she ran off and left her friends confused.

Pinkie ran thru Ponyville like crazy until she saw Rainbow Dash. The blue Pegasus used her rainbow colored tail to whip a lowered cloud for some reason. "Hey Dash, what'ca doin?" Pinkie asked excitedly. Rainbow Dash greeted her with a quick nod and pointed the cloud with her hoof. "This bad boy got to heavy so he can't float. I'm trying to lighten and send him up before he becomes a big mist." She explained to her party loving friend.

Pinkie's eyes glowed with excitement. "OH, FUN!" she yelled while circling around the cloud; gaining more and more speed with every step until she became a pink blur that sent the cloud upwards, piece by piece. Rainbow Dash's eyes spun as she tried to recognize Pinkie inside the pink hurricane. Her eyes were still spinning when Pinkie stopped; said "That was fun. See ya." and ran off. Rainbow blinked a few times in confusion before muttering "Thanks, Pinkie!?"

Next was Sweet Apple Acres, where Pinkie caught up to Applejack and hopped on the apple filled cart she was towing thru the orchard. Applejack grunted because of the extra weight and turned towards her smiling friend. "Yes, Pinkie?" she asked with a bit of annoyance; she still had a lot of work and she didn't have the time for Pinkie's games. Pinkie looked like she was having the time of her life, much to the orange pony confusion.

"That was fun, thanks. See ya!" Pinkie said before disappearing as fast as she appeared. Applejack looked around; was this some sort of prank Pinkie cooked up with Dash? They did color her apples like Easter eggs once, scared Granny Smith and Apple Bloom with fake spiders a few times and not to mention that episode with the bathroom. Her elder brother, Big McIntosh, couldn't get the ink out of his fur for a week. While Applejack fretted about the "upcoming danger", Pinkie dashed across the fields towards Fluttershy's house. She slowed down when she got near. If Fluttershy was doing something fun it was probably something with her animals; quiet and gentle. Pinkie's assumption was correct when she approached the fence.

The yellow Pegasus in question was having a tea party with her pet bunny Angel, a bear, couple of hedgehogs and a lot of birds. Angel noticed Pinkie's approach and hopped towards her in hopes that she brought his favorite cupcakes, and to notify Fluttershy.

"Oh… Hi, Pinkie. What can I do for you?" The shy mare asked politely. Pinkie looked exhausted but she smiled asked if she could join them. Fluttershy spent the rest of the day nurturing Pinkie and listening about her problem. "Oh my, it must be hard having fun all the time."

"Tell me about it. I have soooo many wonderful friends and I can't hang out with all of them." The pink mare answered with a frown. Fluttershy watched her with worry in her eyes; Pinkie was always cheerful and happy but now she seemed like the gentlest wind could blow her away. Fluttershy had to do something to cheer her up.

"Well… I promise I won't have fun, so you don't have to worry about me." She said boldly; that seemed to do the trick since Pinkie hugged her tightly. "Thanks Flutters, but I can't allow you to be miserable for the rest of your life. Your old aunt Pinkie will think of something." Pinkie replied happily. "I'm a year older then you." Fluttershy said, flustered by her friends lack of respect for her age. They spent the rest of the day drinking tea and playing with Fluttershy's animals; Pinkie seemed more relaxed, much to Fluttershy's delight, but then Rainbow Dash and Applejack showed up.

"Ah, Pinkie…" Rainbow Dash said happily "Just the mare I've been looking for. Listen, I was thinking of chilling near the lake tonight and I was wondering if you would like to join me?" Pinkie's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Okay, I'll save some pie for y'all. Just let me know when you're done." Apllejack said while walking away. Pinkie dashed in front of Applejack to stop her. "What was that about pie just now?" Applejack took a step back; Pinkie acted like a rabid Timber-wolf when sweets were in question. "Well…" she started awkwardly "Big Mac and me picked up to many apples so I'm makin apple pies…" And that was everything Applejack managed to say before Pinkie started jumping around, happily chanting "Apple pie".

"Awesome, we can have an eating contest." Rainbow Dash said happily "Or we could have a nice tea party…" Fluttershy suggested quietly. Applejack smiled softly before interrupting her friends discussion "Whoa there everypony, I haven't made them yet. I'll make them tonight but y'all are welcome to help." Rainbow Dash went silent for a minute, deep in thought on what to do, Fluttershy muttered something inaudible to everypony and Pinkie answered her immediately "OH, I'll help. When do we start?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders when she heard Pinkie's answer "OK then, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Before she could fly off Pinkie yelled in horror "NO, WAIT! RAINBOW DASH!" Pinkie's voice stopped Rainbow Dash dead in her tracks; Fluttershy and Applejack rubbed their ears in pain.

"What?" Rainbow asked while looking around for the source of Pinkie's terror. Pinkie looked like she was about to burst, her stare went from Applejack to Rainbow Dash; her friends were worried but before anypony managed to ask what was bothering her she yelled "I CAN'T CHOOSE!" and ran off.


	2. Chapter 2

"Pinkie!" Twilight yelled when she got knocked out, again. Spike gasped in horror, it took a whole day for him and Twilight to fix and replace everything missing, damaged or destroyed. Luckily, Twilight wasn't casting anything so the library stayed intact; but the books he arranged weren't that lucky. Pinkie franticly ran from shelf to shelf, rummaging thru them like a filly that was searching for its favorite toy.

"Pinkie… Pinkie…PINKIE!"Spike and Twilight yelled until the pink mare stopped and turned towards them. "What in the name of Celestia are you doing?" Twilight asked. Pinkie threw herself in front of Twilight's hooves, tears in her eyes and despair in her voice got Twilight worried. "Are you okay, Pinkie?"

Spike approached the two mares and saw Pinkie's sad state. "My gosh… Pinkie! What happened? Don't move I'll get you something to drink." Spike ran off to get a drink while Twilight sat her friend down and tried to find out what got her so sad.

"Now Pinkie…" Twilight started politely "Take a deep breath and tell me what happened." Pinkie took a deep breath and downed the glass of apple cider that Spike gave her before she started talking. "I was visiting everypony in town and having fun with them but then Rainbow Dash invited me to hang out with her at the lake and Applejack asked me to help her bake apple pies for tonight. Can you help me Twilight? I don't want to miss out on anything fun that my friends are doing!"

"Okay… and how can I help you exactly?" Twilight asked. "I need something that can slow time or a teleportation spell or something that will make faster…" Pinkie continued listing spells, stopping only to down another glass of cider. "Do you think my Amulet of Joy could give me a speed boost?" Twilight was baffled by the last question. "Pinkie, magic and the Elements of Harmony are tools meant to help ponies in need; they are not something you should be using for partying." She said calmly "But… but… I can't choose." Pinkie said with a sad frown on her face.

"Sorry Pinkie but the only way out of this problem would be to create another you." The purple unicorn said jokingly; Pinkie looked at her hooves and ran out. Twilight and Spike looked at each other in concern, Pinkie wasn't the type of pony that would cause trouble but she was unpredictable so they decided to follow her. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen when they got out of the library.

Pinkie dashed thru the Everfree Forest happily; the only thing on her mind was Twilight's suggestion. " _ThemagicalMirrorPoll. How could I forget something so important? Twilight must have read about it and tried to tell me in code._ " Her eyes went from tree to tree, from bush to bush in search of some kind of clue to her destination. She jumped around and searched thru the forest until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

" _Pinkie…_ " somepony whispered softly in the distance " _Come Pinkie, don't let the fun get away._ " Pinkie opened her blue eyes and looked around "Hello?" she called out "Is somepony there?" For a while the forest was silent and then a soft, motherly voice could be heard in the distance. " _Find me, Pinkie…_ " Pinkie followed the voice deeper into the forest where the voice got stronger and stronger. It guided her towards an old scorched tree and then it went silent. Pinkie waited and listened but the forest went silent. A small bird sang on a nearby branch but it flew away when Pinkie popped up behind her to silence her.

"Hey! I'm here! Mind telling me where to now?" the young mare asked the air around her. But no answer came. Discouraged Pinkie turned around to walk away but the ground beneath her hooves crumbled and she fell into a dark tunnel.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hey guys, sorry for the wait. I upgraded my PC, badly it seems, and lost most of my files and it took me a while to recover them. That and I've been trying to get a job..._**

 ** _Anyway... I hope you like this chapter and see you soon. *bows*_**

* * *

"WHOAAA!" Pinkie screamed as she plummeted thru the dark tunnel. She spun and bounced of the tunnel walls until she reached the bottom. As she got up she saw a brightly light cavern filled with glowing plants, mushrooms and bugs she never saw before. Even thou she just fell, her thoughts of pain were consumed by her sense of wonder and she walked around the moss covered floor to inspect the new world she just entered. "Wowiee… This place is huge. Maybe I should go back and get Twilight… But what if this is a dream? What if it isn't? Should I explore… What's that?!" Pinkie saw a small light on the wall before smiling and jumping after it.

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed as her hooves made contact with the wall. To her surprise the light was gone but a silent giggle could be heard in the nearby bush. Pinkie didn't pay much attention to it and walked off. With her out of sight the bush parted as Rainbow Dash exited her hideout. "Phew… she's okay." she said to herself "Good thing she's Pinkie and not…"

"RAINBOW DASH!" Pinkie popped out of the same bush suddenly; much to her friend's surprise. "Whoaaa… Pinkie!? How? When? Huh?" Rainbow Dash rapidly pointed from the direction Pinkie went off to the bushes she emerged out of. Instead of answering Pinkie smiled pulled her into a hug "THIS IS GREAT!" Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion "It is?"

"Yeah, now I have somepony to help me find that voice." Pinkie's answer put a relived smile on Rainbow Dash's face. She was worried that her friend got hurt when she feel down but now that she made sure Pinkie was fine she couldn't stop herself from hugging back. After a while Pinkie let go and backed away "What are doing here, anyway?" Rainbow Dash lowered her head uncomfortably and made little circles in the floor before replying "I saw you running to the woods so I followed you. When you stopped to take a break I thought it would be funny if you meet a ghost." Rainbow Dash turned away from Pinkie's gaze before continuing "I flew up ahead of you and hid in the trees. You should have seen the look on your face when you heard me." Whatever Pinkie thought was a mystery to Rainbow Dash. "I was preparing to jump out and scare you when you entered the clearing." Pinkie's mane deflated like a balloon and her eyes were tearing up "But I didn't know the floor would collapse, I swear." Rainbow Dash quickly said and hugged her again in an attempt to comfort her. "I'm sorry Pinkie. I didn't mean for this to happen." Pinkie shivered, her expression hidden behind a thick pink curtain that was her mane and Dash panicked. "Hey, hey… don't cry." she stroke her back "I…I'll make it up to you I swear." Pinkie was still silent. "Anything you want, just name it and I'll do it. Please don't cry Pinkie."

Rainbow Dash was on the verge to tears but then she heard a faint giggle from Pinkie. "Gottcha." Before she could figure out what happened Dash felt a pair of hooves tickling across her body. "He-ee-y stop…hehe… tha-haha-t tickles…HAHAHA!" Dash rolled over laughing as Pinkie got her revenge. Her mane got inflated again and she started laughing with her.

Their laughing filled the silent cave and woke up a flight of bats that called the place home; and they weren't very happy with the sudden wake up. With a loud and violent swing of their leathery wings they flew deeper into the cave, as far away from the horrid noise the two newcomers made. Pinkie followed the angry bats with her curious gaze but Dash stopped her before she jumped after them. "Sorry Pinkie but we don't have time to explore. We have to get back up if we want to get back home."

Pinkie looked at her with a surprised expression. Who was this pony and what did she do to her amazing, daring, brave, "Danger is my middle name" friend? Pinkie's pupils shrunk as she backed away from Rainbow Dash, who held her lips closed and fought of a smile that was trying to break out.

* * *

The hot wind blew into Applejack's face as she bucked the last tree for the day; while the apples were falling down she looked around the orchard. Big Mac was bathing in sweat but he was able to start bucking the next batch. Applejack couldn't help but stare at her brother and admire his willpower; he was lightening their workload for tomorrow with every apple he kicked down. While Mac kicked Applejack towed the apple filled cart to the storage house. To her surprise, and shock, she found Apple Bloom and her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootalo around a small pile of growing apple chunks. "What in tarnation are you doin?" her question spooked the three fillies enough to stop them but it also broke Sweetie Belle's concentration and she drooped the peeling knife that was floating over her head. Luckily, Applejack managed to catch it before it feel on the young unicorn. Sweetie Belle quickly ran off to her friends to see if there was even a tiny speck of a mark that would indicate their special talent but their flanks remained blank as a piece of paper. With an audible groan the three dropped their heads down in disappointment before apologizing and running off.

"There's gotta be a way to keep those three in line." Applejack said to Big Mac as he entered the storage with a rake and a bag in mouth. He didn't even have to ask what happened because the trio in question attempted to help him buck. And judging by the leaves and feathers sticking out of his fur their help didn't last long. Applejack giggled slightly at the sight of her brother before helping him clean up and store the last baskets for the day. With the storage house full and locked the two ponies went home to get some rest and prepare for their dinner guests.

"Hey guys!" said the cheerful voice behind them, a voice too familiar to them. Mac gave Applejack a knowing smile as they turned around to greet Pinkie. "Ah, Pinkie… just the pony we been lookin for." Pinkie's smile grew when she heard that. "You were?! That's great I've been looking for you." Applejack quickly checked the sky, the sun was still high and Granny was still washing dishes after lunch so it was too early for their guests to come over. "Um… Pinkie, I hate to break it to you but we just had lunch and we still have some work to do… but if you want to help you could keep an eye on Apple Bloom and her friends for us." She politely said to her cheerful friend. "Eeyup." and Mac quickly agreed with her idea. The pink mare had enough energy to keep up with the three fillies and the Cakes said she was responsible enough to take care of their foals so there shouldn't be any worries… mostly.

Pinkie gave them a curious look, it looked like she didn't know of whom were they talking about but before Applejack and Mac could ask anything she quickly smiled and ran off. "I'll make sure they have the best day ever" was almost inaudible to the siblings as the pink dot disappeared in the distance, followed by the three caped Crusaders. Mac simply shrugged and walked back towards their home while Applejack went to check her dog Winona. As she approached the pet house she noticed a familiar shade of pink fur disappearing behind a tree in the corner of her eye. "Fluttershy? Is that you?" she asked as she approached the tree.

"HI!" To her shock and disbelief the pink fur was not that of her timid friend, it was the fur of the same mare that just left with her sister. "PINKIE PIE?!" Applejack's yell managed to spook the nearby birds and stopped Pinkie's attempt to hug her. "What are you doing here? Where are the girls?"

Pinkie watched the orange mare in clear puzzlement. Why was her friend so angry at her? She was just passing by and dropped in to say hello but she got yelled at instead. Pinkie slowly backed away from her upset friend while trying to keep a calm face but her puffed up mane did deflate a bit. "Okie-doky-locky I can see you're busy so I'll come back later…" the rest of her sentence was cut off when her rear came into contact with a very muscular and sweaty torso of Big Mac who ran over to inspect the cause of his sister's yelling. Pinkie quickly jumped away from him and began backing away from the Apple siblings.

"Pinkie… What in tarnation are you doin here? Where are the girls?" The red stallion asked as fury and disappointment completely replaced his usually calm demeanor. "If you didn't want to keep an eye on them you should have told us from the start." The red stallion reprimanded the pink mare while Applejack looked around in search of their missing sister.

"But I just got here…" the pink mare began explaining but the angry look on Big Mac quickly shut her up. She realized that the two were upset about the girls but how did they came up with the idea that she knew their location was beyond her. Pinkie's eyes raced across the orchard in search for anything that might resemble a filly until she spotted a sky blue spot flying over them. "Hey look its Rainbow Dash." Pinkie happily pointed at the rainbow haired Pegasus "She can help us find your missing girls."

Before anypony could object Pinkie ran up the nearest tree and threw an apple towards her soaring friend. Whatever Rainbow Dash was doing up there didn't involve collecting apples or looking around since she didn't react to the flying fruit until it hit her right in the snout.

"OW…HEY!" the sky blue Pegasus exclaimed as she landed down on the grass. Without even a greeting or acknowledgement that she noticed Mac and A.J., Rainbow Dash furiously marched towards the tree that Pinkie was using as a watch tower. The front of her snout stung like crazy and she could feel something warm and wet running down from her nose with each step but she didn't pay attention to it. The most important thing at the moment was tying Pinkie up to that tree and moving on.

"What's wrong with you?! You almost hit my eye!" she yelled at the pink mare who wasn't climbing down… or paid any attention to her as matter of fact. She simply continued watching the nearby clouds for a couple of seconds before inhaling deeply and shouting "OOOH RAINBOWS AND PINKIES!"

Much to Apples confusion and slight sense of dread. What did she mean by Rainbows and Pinkies? Did she meet some ponies that shared the same name as her and their sky clearing friend or did Twilight found another alternate dimension? If it was the later they had to hurry and find Apple Bloom before something weird happened.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Well guys, here's the new chapter.  
I hope it's to your liking.  
**_

* * *

"Phew, finally…" the purple-green dragon took a step a back and whipped the sweat from his forehead as he observed the sparkling library. Everything was cleaned up and back where it should be. The windows shined as the afternoon sunrays passed thru them and dried the remnants of floor polish. Each and every book was dusted off, grouped and arranged in alphabetical order. The great pony statue that was replaced by a much smaller and, thankfully, lighter wooden sculpture of a crossed quill and key whose top ends held a bright yellow, almost white, banner that said "A smart word opens any door."

Spike couldn't help but chuckle as he read the library's motto. While it was true that a polite word was always useful and that using one's head was always instrumental when it came down to solving a problem he rarely witnessed anypony applying the said, or in this case read, idea in the first place. Most ponies simply started arguing, did something ridiculous, realized how much of a mistake that was before anypony got hurt and then talked it out with each other. Not even Twilight or he were innocent of that foolishness but he believed that they were able to learn from those mistakes and make sur to never repeat them again.

His happy thought was interrupted when he heard a familiar sound of hooves hitting the ground, scattering the pebbles right into the air and happy hum of a mare that was waiting for them to hit the ground again before she could jump again. The whole world suddenly became black and white while he scratched against the floor in a race against the clock. His gaze never left the door as he got closer and closer to it, he didn't even blink. The fear of the inevitable chaos that would ensue when those doors opened ate away at his mind like a hungry worm thru an apple, he couldn't let Pinkie Pie in. The first pony that had the right to enter the library was Twilight, or at least she deserved to see their home repaired and clean, not infested by confetti, party ribbons and…

"Pinkie Pies!?" Spike jumped away from the door when he saw five identically pink mares starring at him thru the nearby window. A decision he immediately regretted; the doors busted open and a swarm of excited Pinkies poured in. He couldn't blink, he was too afraid to blink, all his hard work was being trampled in a matter of minutes. He couldn't even hear himself protest over the constant stream of excited screams, curious questions, party whistles, music and canons going off. As the confetti flew thru the room Spike accidently inhaled a few of them and was rushed outside by one of the pink mares. After a couple of strong hugs he managed to exhale every colored paper out of his system.

Spike stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he sprawled on the floor in an effort to catch his breath. He shut his eyes tight in hopes that the whole event he just witnessed was just a bad dream and that he would be awoken by Twilight at any moment. But when he opened his eyes he was meet by three pairs of familiar baby blue eyes. This wasn't a dream, it was a disaster waiting to happen he realized when he saw three Pinkies staring back at him. Spike quietly watched the three mares as they stood there for a while and disappeared in a bush while chasing a very small fly that passed in front of them.

"SPIKE!" the young dragon winched when he heard the shocked voice of a purple unicorn that just returned home. The only thing he could see on her face was worry as she rushed over to help him get back on his feet. He couldn't help but smile softly and wrap his hands around her long silky neck when she got close. Every muscle in her neck tightened and relaxed from the unexpected hug, he could feel it but she returned the hug almost immediately with warm smile when she saw he wasn't hurt.

"Twilight… I don't know how to say this…" he struggled to find the right words to explain the situation. His ear-scales twitched nervously and his tail slowly dragged from left to right, swiping the dirt behind him into two separate piles that got the attention of every Pinkie Pie near the door and in the bush.  
"It's okay Spike." Twilight said comfortingly "I know you wanted to help but you didn't have to work yourself to death in order to repair the library." She said with her eyes closed and filled with tear drops. "What would I do without you in it?"

Twilight slowly rubbed her check against Spike's ear before opening her eyes to take a closer look. The young dragon looked exhausted and reeked of sweat but otherwise he seemed fine. Her eye widened in surprise when she pressed her front hoof on the green scales on his stomach to wipe the dirt off. Compared to the light purple scales that covered his body like a suit of armor the green ones were barely harder than a pillow, which wasn't surprising since dragons evolved from reptiles.

As she swiped her assistant's stomach, to which he protested and insisted to do alone, she noticed a pair of eyes watching them thru the bushes with great interest. The bush shook as their observer mumbled something impatiently before disappearing. Twilight stopped her swiping, much to Spike's pleasure, and walked up to the bush. She had a distinct feeling that she was going to get knocked on the ground by her guest but a part of her was trembling in worry. Why didn't Pinkie jump out when she was cleaning Spike and hugged them both? She wouldn't miss a chance to hug as many of her friends as she could.

"Pinkie?" she slowly parted the branches. The light purple glow from her horn enveloped every branch in front of her, moving them away to reveal the dark pink mess of a mane her friend had on her head. "Pinkie?" she called her again but got no answer again "This isn't funny Pinkie." Twilight poked her friends head but got no reaction nor body resistance when she reached the point where the mare's head was supposed to be. Her hoof simply passed the pink mane like air and she soon found herself standing in a cloud of pink smoke and mud.

As the shocked mare and dragon looked at her hooves a loud roar of laughter could be heard coming from the library. Twilight exhaled in relief, it was just another of Pinkie Pie's and Rainbow Dash's pranks. Spike probably asked them for help and this was their price, if the guilty look on his face was anything to go by, but she couldn't blame him for it. She asked him to clean up the mess she herself made, even if it was Pinkie's sudden hug that threw her off aim, while she ran off to make a new report for her mentor.

Spike's pupils grew thinner and thinner with each step Twilight took towards the door. He had to stop her. Not because there was an army of pink mares partying like there was no tomorrow waiting inside, they dealt with a lot of magical incidents, even caused a few, but because of the mess they probably made by now. How he got to the doors before her was a mystery that would haunt to his twilight years.

"Spike?" Twilight took a step back when she saw the young dragon materializing between her and the entrance to their home. He wasn't even trying to hide the terrified and confused look on his dirty face. "Is there something you wish to tell me?" she asked politely, even if a tint of anger and disappointment could still be heard. Was she about to enter the blast zone she left that morning or was there another Pinkie's/Rainbow Dash's prank waiting for her?

"Well… how should I put it…" Spike's tail shook rapidly as he struggled to make sentence. "You see, Pinkie…" his words were quickly deafened by a loud crash form the other side of the door. His jaw simply hung, his eyes were wide open and he instinctively rose his claws in an attempt to stop the purple unicorn from opening the door. Unfortunately, his struggle was futile since Twilight's horn glow up and she easily opened the front entrance. And then, everything went silent. Spike closed his eyes and turned around to inspect the damage Pinkie and her twin sisters, that was the only plausible explanation he could come up with, caused. But to his dismay he was wrong, very, very wrong.

Three Rainbow Dashes rolled across the room as they struggled to get a hold of Daring Do's fifth volume. A dozen or so Pinkie Pies ran across the room as they rummaged thru every draw and shelf in sight. Quills, parchments, ink bottles, confetti and balloons flew thru the air and landed either on the floor or on the flying Rainbows that chased the pink tide. The kitchen was beyond the point of approachable due to the mysterious light brown foam that was still flowing thru the door and into the main hall. Luckily for Twilight, nopony breached the magical barrier that protected her underground laboratory.

"TWILIGHT! Thank Celestia you're here." Exclaimed one of the Rainbows that was trying to wrestle out of a headlock she was in.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Merry Christmas, Hanuka, Quanza (I hope I spelled it right) or what ever your holiday is.  
**_

* * *

"Ruby Red!? What was I thinking!?" the white unicorn exclaimed loudly while running towards her fabric closet. She desperately rummaged thru the fabrics in search for the perfect one. The young mare grabbed a couple of dark blue and green cloths to compare with the evening suit she was making. Even thou fashion was her profession and passion, she wasn't a miracle worker.

"Um… Rarity…" a timid whisper passed thru the unicorn's ear before she turned around to face her visitor. A familiar bright yellow Pegasus stood near the door, covering her face in embarrassment by a curtain of light pink hair that flowed down to her front hooves. Hooves that also tried to disappear under her slender stomach, along with the fluffy white robe and pink towel she was carrying.

"Oh Flutthersy." The white mare said happily as she fixed the purple curls of her mane. She nearly forgot about her spa session with her best friend. Luckily for her, the sun was still up and the suit was nearly finished so she dropped everything down and ran off into her room to grab her robe.

"I'm dreadfully sorry darling." she apologized to her timid friend as they exited her boutique. "I got caught up in my work and lost track of time."

Fluttershy quickly shook her head in denial "Oh no, I should apologize to you Rarity."

"Whatever do you mean?" Rarity asked, shocked by her friends statement. It wasn't Fluttershy's fault she had a boutique that attracted rich and famous ponies that wanted to stand out. It wasn't the first time she had to fulfil a big order in a ridiculously short period.

"Well… I interrupted you…" Rarity's hoof gently covered the yellow mare's mouth before she could utter another word. While Fluttershy's words had some truth in them, she wasn't going to allow her to blame herself for doing something that had to be done. She was overworked and needed a change of pace.

"The only one who deserves an apology is you. I invited you to spend some quality time with you and forgot about it." Rarity said those words sternly enough to stop any further argument from Fluttershy. Unfortunately, her words worked too well, Fluttershy got on her stomach and covered her face behind her hooves in terror.

Rarity lowered herself on the ground and slowly moved her friend's hooves away. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. I just wanted to stop you from blaming yourself for something you haven't done." she said softly, like a mother talking to a sleeping foal. Her hooves ran down Fluttershy's head in a calm, careful and caring manner until the yellow mare got up and pressed herself against her. Rarity could feel her slender hooves encircling and squeezing around her neck as their owner held onto her for balance.

Fluttershy gave her friend a weak smile before backing away. She didn't knew many ponies since she mostly spent her time with woodland animals. Most of her conversations revolved around instructions and questions about pet raising and health care. And she preferred it that way. Most ponies just wanted to exploit her talent to speak with animals but Rarity, Apples, Twilight and Spike were among the few that simply wanted to spend their time with her. And despite her low self-esteem they always found a way to bring a smile on her face. "There is no need to apologize Rarity" she said happily "you were just trying to help."

"That's the spirit darling." Rarity said proudly. It always warmed her heart when somepony she knew and loved achieved something important. "Now then, how about we finish our chat in the sauna? I still haven't told you who ordered the suit." Fluttershy didn't say word, she simply nodded in agreement and followed her towards the spa. As they approached the front door Rarity noticed the satisfied smile on her face was still present and visible for everypony to see, a fact that made her a very happy mare.

"Good afternoon, Miss Rarity and Miss Fluttershy." The blue Earth pony receptionist greeted them when they entered. Her baby pink hair playfully shone in the candle light as she approached her best customers with a clipboard and pen in hoof. "The usual?"

Rarity responded almost immediately "The usual, Lotus. And please, give me a deep tissue massage."

Lotus acknowledged Rarity's request with a simple note on the board. "Did you have a busy week?" she asked politely as she guided them towards the steam room. Rarity exhaled loudly before answering her "You wouldn't believe how much effort I had to put into making my latest creation."

"Oh my… is it for somepony important?" Fluttershy and Lotus asked in unison. It wasn't rear for Rarity to talk about her latest works since most of her orders came from rich and extravagant clients. Clients that didn't mind spilling a couple of beans about their lives.

"Well, I wouldn't call him important to the general public… but he is dressing to meet someone special." Rarity began with a giggle, much to the confusion of her listeners. "You see, my latest client has been invited to a small gala hosted by Lady Bella Donna in Canterlot. She is one of the most influential ponies in fashion world. Since he didn't have anything proper to wear for the occasion he came to my boutique to order a proper suit." Rarity's dark blue eyes sparkled with pride as she continued "Naturally, I was curious why he chose me and not Hoofmani and Sons, the best tailors for stallions in all of Equestria."

"Was it because you do a better job for less?" asked the light pink Earth pony as she entered the sauna.

"Aloe!" Lotus yelled at her twin sister "Don't just enter in here without a reason."

"Oh but I do have a reason. Two in fact." the blue haired mare answered cheerfully "First, I brought the white peony, angelica root and lily buds you requested. And second, I wanted to hear the story." Aloe's smile didn't waver as she sat next to her sister and carefully placed the herbs between the hot coals.

As the sweet, earthly aroma filled her lungs and washed away the stress from her muscles Rarity continued her story. "Thank you, Aloe. Now where was I? Oh yes, the stallion's reason. While there is some truth in Aloe's words, he chose me over Hoofmani simply because of a recommendation from princess Celestia." Rarity took a moment to inhale some more steam while Fluttershy and the twins applauded her.

"Bravo, bravo Miss Rarity." Aloe and Lotus cheered while genteelly tapping their hooves against the smooth wooden boards that covered hard stone floor. "I'm so happy for you Rarity." the pink haired Pegasus said as she hugged the proud Unicorn. Being promoted by royalty was a rare occurrence and it was even rarer for somepony who wasn't of noble blood.

Rarity quietly bowed to her audience before raising her hoof to let them know she wasn't finished. "Thank you ladies, but I merely scratched the surface of this story… I still haven't told you how he looks." Everyone glued their eyes on her. "When he entered my boutique I nearly had a heart attack."

"How come?" Lotus asked after pouring another bucket of water on the coals. A hot cloud of steam rose up and covered the room in another layer of fog and floating remains of herbs that looked like little snowflakes made of fire as they descended back to earth.

"Why he was one of the biggest ponies I ever saw in my life. Every black strand of hair on his body covered a mountain of muscles and scars, probably the results of some daring actions he took on the battlefield." Rarity's last words intrigued her audience even more since the last known armed conflict their ruler waged was the one against Sombra, the dark mage and ruler of Crystal Empire. And that happened long before princess Luna, Celestia's younger sister, turned into Nightmare Moon, a vile demon of the night. "Yes, yes, I know." Rarity quickly continued "He didn't fight in a war, most of his scars came from... occult sources."

The room suddenly got quiet. Nopony could utter a word after they heard that. There were rumors about pony societies that promoted their beliefs into some deity or creed, usually strange and violent creed, but most of those rumors died out as soon as they showed up.

"Oh my… he sounds like a terrifying pony to meet." Fluttershy whispered from under the bench she was hiding. Lotus and Aloe simply nodded in agreement. The mere thought of what cultists tended to do was unsettling enough. They didn't even want to think of what went thru the head of anypony that was willingly searching for them.

"I thought so as well." Rarity said cheerfully "But then I noticed something peculiar." Everypony held their breath in anticipation. "He wouldn't look me in the eye for a moment. He was either looking at my dresses or covering his eyes behind his messy silver-gray mane. When I finally spoke to him he nearly jumped out of his coat and apologized for disturbance." She said with a light chuckle. "The poor thing was more scared of me then I of him. Hm… maybe scared isn't the right word… I'd say he was nervous."

The room got silent again but this time Rarity's audience had a soft smile. "And I couldn't blame him, he wasn't blind nor daft. I nearly had to use magic in order to stop him from leaving." Aloe chuckled a bit when she heard that part. "After another apology he told me why he came to me and asked if I could repair his old suit. Which was torn up and stitched together for Celestia knows how many times. When I saw that monstrosity I knew I couldn't let him go. He wouldn't even get past his host's door if he showed up in that so I offered to make him a new suit."

Fluttershy, Lotus and Aloe gave Rarity a curious look. While there was no denying that she was one of the most generous mares in Ponyville, it puzzled them why would she make a suit worthy of a noble for somepony that couldn't even pay the tenth of its price. The fabrics she needed alone probably set her back by a substantial amount. She might have made a deal with him to mention her boutique at the party but that was a big gamble, even for her.

"I'm no expert in trading but isn't that a little risky?" asked a familiar tomboyish voice from the corner. The four mares jumped out of their seats and nearly slipped on their flanks when they landed on the wet floor. As the newcomer laughed at the desynchronized figure skating scene that just occurred in front of her the four turned their heads to confirm the identity of their unannounced visitor.

The light blue Pegasus that hovered in the corner laughed loudly at her friends shocked faces. Loudly and long enough for her feathers to get waterlogged from the sweat. When Rainbow Dash finally realized her mistake she was already on the floor. The sauna echoed with laughter from the three mares while Fluttershy walked up to her fallen friend.

"Are you all right Rainbow Dash?" she asked full of concern. Rainbow Dash carefully rubbed her rear as she grabbed Fluttershy's extended hoof and got up. "Yeah, don't worry about it." She quickly answered to the unasked question with a cocky smile. Fluttershy looked relived, she was always the first to spring into action when somepony or animal got hurt. It was a characteristic Rainbow Dash came to respect over the years she knew her. She knew that Fluttershy wouldn't judge her or think less of her if she crash landed into a tree or a dumpster. Ever since she meet her in Cloudsdale's Fly Elementary school she knew that this timid mare would become a great pony that she would be honored to call friend.

Fluttershy quietly returned Rainbow Dash's smile before escorting her to the circle of giggling mares that were patiently waiting for them. She couldn't help but smile at how blessed she was. She was just a shy pony that was afraid of her own shadow and despite that she meet and befriended such strong and amazing ponies. She gentely pressed her flank against Rainbow's when they sat down. It seemed somewhat nostalgic to her. Rainbow Dash spent most of her free time protecting her from bullies and comforting her when she was felling sad when they were fillies. She would simply sat next to her and pressed her flank against hers until her tears dried up.

She never complained when things got hard, at least when it was something she decided to do, it was at those moments she worked even harder. She pushed herself to the point most Pegasi would consider suicidal and beyond just so she could prove that she was a worthy candidate for the Wonder Blots, Equestria's elite flyers and rescue team.

Was it out of pride or was it because she wanted to follow in her father's hoofsteps? It was an answer Fluttershy didn't have, she only knew that it was her turn to help Rainbow in whichever way she could. Even if it meant just emotional support, she couldn't call herself a good friend without giving it her all.

"Are you alright darling?" Rarity asked her rainbow headed friend when she joined them. Rainbow Dash quickly nodded in confirmation. "Never mind me, what happened after you offered him a new suit?" she asked enthusiastically "I got in around the Hoofmani part so you don't have to summarize."

"Wait, wasn't that the time you got in here as well?" Lotus asked her sister whose cheeks turned red in embarrassment "Oh yes… I forgot to mention Miss Dash came in search of you."

"Did something happen?" Rarity and Fluttershy asked as they turned their heads towards Rainbow Dash. Dash gave them an apologetic smile before answering "You know what? It isn't a big deal, Twilight and Applejack are already taking care of it so we can join them after you finish your story… It'll be over soon, right?"

Rarity simply sat on her seat while Fluttershy's expression turned from worried to relaxed to worried again. Aloe and Lotus quietly picked the scattered herbs and buckets before crossing off Rarity's name from their schedule. Rainbow's dark pink eyes jumped from Rarity and Fluttershy to the exit door and back at them. A slow minute of silence seemed like an hour to the light blue Pegasus. She knew that Twilight and Applejack needed to see them as soon as possible but she wanted to hear more about the shy soldier and his whereabouts.

"He politely declined at first but I insisted." Rarity finally spoke and everypony quickly sat down to hear. "I thought he declined because he wouldn't be able to afford it but it was simply a matter of time. His invitation came in a week and a half before the event so he feared I wouldn't be able to make anything more than a handkerchief. When I told him to leave his suit here and come back for it at the end of the week he was baffled."

Rarity paused for a second to give her listeners a chance to ask questions. The first to ask her was Aloe "How long have you been working on it and will it be ready in time?"

Rarity couldn't help but smile proudly before answering "I began working on the suit three days ago, now I just need to put on some finishing touches and it will be ready." The four mares let their jaws drop before they started tapping their hooves on the floor in rhythm in order to congratulate her.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to ask but she was quickly cut off by Lotus and Fluttershy. "Three days and nights… Are you sure it was a good idea? You know what they say about overworking your body… How did you do it so fast?"

Rarity blinked a few times before hugging her concerned friends "There is no need to worry, I made sure to get some sleep each night. And didn't have to work from scratch. I simply used the existing jacket as a base for a new one."

Rainbow inhaled loudly out of frustration after Aloe cut her off. "How will he pay for the suit? Did he promise to recommend your boutique to everyone who asked him about the suit or did you just sewed your name on it?"

"S… sewed my name…" Rarity nearly fainted when she heard the question "Heavens no. He paid like any other customer. Even more than he needed to." The surprising answer silenced everypony. "It's true, I offered him a reasonable rate he could pay each month but he offered to pay with jewels he found in the Eastern Kingdom." Rarity's audience leaned closer as the excited mare continued "And not just any jewels. He found Blood Rubies, Ocean Sapphires and Sun Diamonds, some of the most rarest and expensive jewels in the world. And he gave me every single one of them."

Fluttershy stared at her friend in complete disbelief. Rarity knew how to recognize the quality and value of gems since she used them as decorations in her outfits and was always in search for new ones. She wouldn't simply accept so many jewels as payment if only a few of them were enough, right? Or maybe it was just a slip of the tongue since she was trying to finish her story.

Rarity noticed her friend's concerned look and quickly proceeded to dissuade her. "Now, now darling, I refused the whole bag and asked for only a couple of gems but he insisted." That seemed to do the trick. Fluttershy looked relieved, much to Rarity's pleasure. She really didn't think things thru when she mentioned the stallion's payment but she really wanted to finish her story. Twilight and Applejack were still waiting for them and she didn't want to keep them waiting.

"What's his name? Do you need me to deliver the suit for you?" Rainbow finally managed to ask. She knew that they needed to go but her curiosity got the better of her; that, and the stallion in question sounded familiar to her. She vaguely remembered hearing her father talking about a similar pony who helped his squad during a very big rescue mission that occurred a couple of years before her birth.

"Why thank you darling that would be great. He did mention that he needed to return to Canterlot and left his address. But we can discuss the details later, I do believe we should join our friends." Rarity's answer was firm, polite and let everypony know that she was finished, for now.

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 _ **This is one of the biggest chapters I had written so far and I hope I'll be able to write more like this.**_ _ **I hope you enjoy.  
**_ _ **If you're interested: Rarity's customer is an OC of mine and, if you wish, I'll reveal him and his special somepony at the end of this story.**_

 _ **Also, for those of you who are waiting for the review I mentioned, it's still a work in progress.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I've been having some problems at home and I couldn't concentrate on anything properly. I'll try to upload my next work faster, so wish me luck.  
**

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Fluttershy politely bowed to the Lotus Twins as she left their spa in pursuit of her talkative friends. Since she wasn't a racer like Rainbow Dash, she had to push her wing muscles to their maximum limit in order to catch up to the said Pegasus and the Unicorn she was talking to.

The two mares didn't notice the yellow Pegasus's absence or, apparently, their surroundings as they walked off the main road and straight up the hill the said road was avoiding. Luckily for Fluttershy, the hill wasn't the shorter route. When she arrived at the hill's base she continued following the road by hoof in order to let her wings rest. By the time she reached the other side of the hill her friends barely reached the hilltop.

As the two mares descended, Fluttershy observed the meadow that spread at the hill's base. To her embarrassment it was filled with ponies of all species and ages. Ponies in different stages of intimacy. Some of them simply sat next to each other, their flanks pressed to each other like they were one being, while others slowly rubbed their necks against their partners in perfect unison and some of them even went as far as joining their snouts into a bridge their tongues could cross at various lengths.

Fluttersyhy could feel herself getting flustered more and more as she turned around to avoid any further discomfort. She knew that such behavior was natural for ponies who had somepony special to them but it still felt embarrassing when she saw it done in public.

With the couples out of her sight and mind, and some time to spare, she sat down and basked in the warm sunlight of the spring sun. As she waited she could hear the love song of a nearby bluebird as it searched for its future mate. The bird slowly chirped its notes into the breeze as it passed over the passing ponies heads. With every stroke of its ocean blue wings it got closer to Fluttershy, singing louder and prouder as his white underbelly passed over the mare's smiling face. The bird suddenly made a sharp turn to the right and began circling around Fluttershy. With each pass the bird made, the song lost its tempo in favor of longer high notes.

Notes that sounded all too familiar to the yellow Pegasus. For they were the notes of joy and hope she hummed to her animal companions each time they were distressed and came to her for comfort.

Each day they would show up at her doorstep with hungry and troubled looks. Some wanted a place to stay and rest, others simply wanted some attention or treatment. In some cases mothers left their young in her care due to their unwillingness or inability to care for them.

While this was never a problem for her, Fluttershy was still a single mare with limits. Unfortunately, the life cycles of woodland creatures weren't something she could stop or change at will. And she tried. Every time she saw a bird being chased by a cat she rushed in to stop it and take the cat to her mound like cottage. There, she would spend days feeding the cat in an attempt to persuade her feline guest to find new forms of nourishment and entertainment. In most cases she would just end up with a fur covered bed and an army of upset chickens when the said guest left but she wasn't the type of pony that got discouraged easily. At least when it came to animal care.

Each morning she would wake up to witness the flight of small pink butterflies which usually resided on her flanks. The flight itself was never anything spectacular but it still possessed such elegance and beauty that could only be described as otherworldly. The butterflies flew around the room in search of flowers or a place to rest. In most cases they landed on her books about animal care or specific types of animal food before disappearing in the morning light. And by some strange coincidence, the items they usually landed on tended to be the most used ones during her waking hours.

It always reminded her of a story her grandmother used to tell before bedtime. It was a story of a time when a pony's Cutie Mark was not just a gift from the gods that marked ones ascension into adulthood but also a tool which could be used to understand ones talent or ability.

Fluttershy gently hummed to herself as she watched the bluebird flying off into the distance. As she hummed into the distance she could hear the unmistakable voice of the snow white filly named Sweetie Bell coming closer and closer to her. The young unicorn swayed her head rhythmically as she walked thru the grass. The pink and purple strands of her curly mane lazily flowed thru the air which carried the notes leaving her mouth. "...Way to say this. You mean well..." the lyrics got louder and clearer with each step she took towards Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy." the cheerful filly exclaimed as she ran over to the yellow Pegasus "What are you doing here? Are you waiting for somepony? Can I meet him?" Sweetie Bell asked as she turned around in search of an approaching pony.

Fluttershy couldn't hide the crimson circles that continuously grew on her cheeks with each question. True, she was interested in finding a stallion to spend some time with but she never knew how to approach other ponies. Granted most ponies usually approached her but talking with them always seemed unnatural to her if it wasn't about pet care. It always seemed like she was standing on the edge of a bottomless pit from which she could hear the echoing sounds of laughter and ridicule waiting to burst out at the very moment her lips formed a sentence.

Fluttershy opened her snout to explain what she was doing at the moment but she was cut off by the bright pink glow coming out of Sweetie Bell's horn. Her wavy mane suddenly got jerked upwards and, strand by strand, began dancing around her head; forming thin braids which got tangled up into a pair of buns that hung loosely under her ears. What little hair was left intact got turned into an oversized dandelion that seemed to be on a verge of rolling or falling off the wearer's head.

"Um… Sweetie Bell, I don't think you should..." Fluttershy began meekly "I'm not meeting anypony so could you please… Sweetie Bell?" Her words fell on deaf ears since Sweetie Bell ran off into the field to pick up as many flowers as ponily possible. The only thing Fluttershy could do was follow and hope that she could put a stop to this fictional date before it got out of hoof.

While it was no secret that she enjoyed looking after her friend's sister, she had to admit that Sweetie Bell and her friends were often causing more problems than solutions. She couldn't blame the young mares for trying, she experienced it first hoof how it felt to be the last pony to receive a Cutie Mark. Luckily for her, she only had to deal with one Cutie Mark Crusader this time, and as an added bonus, it was the mellowest one of the three.

Since Rarity and Rainbow Dash still weren't nearby Fluttershy decided to watch over Sweetie Bell as she mumbled instructions to herself. Her eyes were full of hope as she envisioned who knows what while she weaved the flower stalks into a thick rope. Was she attempting to earn her Cutie Mark by making a flower crown or preparing some strange date plan for Fluttershy and her suitor remained a mystery.

"Oh no, he stood you up didn't he?" Sweetie Bell asked when she noticed that nopony was interested in her chuckling yellow friend.

"Sweetie Bell, I'm waiting for Rarity and Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy quickly explained to the disappointed filly. She decided to keep the reason "why" a secret in case of additional questions; and because she herself didn't know. But she was sure that wherever she was going wasn't a place for fillies.

Her suspicion was instantly confirmed by a loud scream of startled ponies and all too familiar laughter of Ponyville's self-proclaimed number one prankster. Only this time the laugh was multiplied by a hundred, as well as its owner.

Fluttershy and Sweetie Bell simultaneously looked up to see a flock of sky blue Pegasi with rainbow colored manes flying around ponies heads and unloading buckets of swamp water on them.


End file.
